Surgery Never Cured My Carpal Tunnel

05-07-2016, 03:01 PM

I see all kinds of chatter on the web about this advice or that suggestion. No offence meant, but most of them look sketchy. Can I get an honest piece of advice here without somebody telling me to go to their website and buy their dumb product? I’m serious folks. If you cant answer honestly then please please please don’t. So here’s my story….at first I got carpal tunnel in my right hand in 2014. I had surgery pretty quick after my second doctor diagnosed it. But the numbness never really went away. Its been 2 years. In fact if anything now the numbness is spreading to my wrist but more on that later. Another doctor says to have a “repair” surgery on it but I wont. No way. My right hand is a total mess. So in 2015 i got carpals in my other (left) hand. I thought I was cooked for sure. But that time I bought a CPR and it worked really great and it worked fast. Yeah a $7,000 operation verses a few bucks on a Cpr brace, and the cpr brace won. Go figure. Damn doctors don’t know squat. But the real reason Im here is cuz my right hand is getting WORSE. I think its too far gone for the CPR and believe me I tried. It actually feels dead. So does anybody know what to do after a operation fails? (actually it never really did anything at all ) I’m afraid the numbness will spread up my arm. It’s already beginning even when doctor said spreading up my arm wont happen, but he also advised another surgery to correct the first one. Fool me once!! Damn doctors. So what do you do when nothing helps? You really and truly will understand my problem when i say “Im thinking of getting an ax and cutting off my hand”. Only half serious. But I need a real treatment! Again, please advise only if you have something honest to say. Thx P.

10-12-2016, 12:05 PM

Hi Paula, I had Carpal Tunnel Surgery on both hands in 2003.. I was fine until 2014, it started to come back and then went in for test in the Fall of that yr. came up positive.. Had surgery in the Spring of 2015 with a different surgeon, my last had cancer and left his practice.. Right hand was done Easter wkend and the left one 10 days later.. The right never progressed well .. seems the left is good.. Had tests done in January 2016 .. still carpal tunnel in the Right, my dominant hand.. The test show worse than before surgery.. In March 2016 saw a Specialist in Wrist and hand in Farmington, CT.. where an actual team of doctors can look on this.. after evaluation I have severe nerve damage in that hand.. My suggestion would be to see your reg. GP .. and see who he/she recommends to evaluate the damage and see if surgery or what ever can be done to cure the problem..
I hope this was helpful ! .. JFJBob

10-13-2016, 03:50 PM

Paula
Sorry to hear about your hand .i understand your frustration...I have had carpal tunnel in my right hand for about 15 years. I did a lot of research from others who had it done and decided to go to a hand surgeon who only works on hands and had done many surgeries ..I saw her in June and at that time my symptoms were so bad I wanted to cut my hand off ..she couldn't do the surgery right away she was booked out until October so ahe gave me a cortisone shot..and it was like a miracle couldn't believe it all the symptoms went away by the next day had a wonderful summer and my hand just began to bother a little just before the surgery..had it done oct 7th and have had no pain or numbness and will get the 2 stitches out this comming tues..so will keep you posted on my progress..
Was just wondering if you could get a shot to calm down your hand a bit..

Joanna

10-19-2016, 11:25 AM

Hi just an up date on my carpal tunnel surgery ..got the stitches out yesterday..and everything looks fine no bruising just a little swelling over the carpal tunnel..but that seems better today ..the doctor said I don't need to wear the wrist splint ..and no lifting only things like coffee cup and light house hold chores. Gave me a few hand excercises ..will see the doctor in 2 more weeks ..so far no numbness at all and do quite a bit with my hand real light stuff no lifting though..

Joanna

10-24-2016, 02:44 AM

Hi Paula,
Firstly, my Carpal Tunnel op... has led to me having nerve/tissue damage.. and made things 100% worse... my hand is hyper sensitive... in excruiating pain, swollen to the point it feels like it is going to burst... and being my dominant hand, well is making me depressed now too... finally after 4 bouts of antibiotics and a further 3 days back in hospital for more tests... they have told me I have CRPS (means the nerves and tissues haven't responded well to the surgery, and are damaged..I am on steroids now and the long haul to try and get things back to normal.. with no time scale or any guarantee I will be totally free of pain again..)
But the reason I am writing to you... is cos I have big neck issues... Bulging discs, narrowing, Osteophytes...amongst other stuff... have already had a fusion due to cord compression and have another disc contacting the cord higher up now... I was convinced it was my neck again causing my symptoms in my hand, but they said this time around it was Carpal Tunnel, hence my surgery... and it has now turned out, it was my neck, from a recent CT scan after all... (as you can imagine... I am feeling really unhappy based on what has now happened)... But I wanted to suggest to you, with your symptoms, it may very well be worth getting them to check your neck out, before contemplating any kind of repair surgery on your hand... (what has happened to my hand, it seems is very rare, so I am not saying it would happen to you) but I defo think you should let them take a look at your neck, and rule that out first.
Neck problems, do cause hand/arm numbness aswell as pain and weakness there..
I hope you get sorted xx

10-24-2016, 05:06 PM

Teddy bear
sorry to hear all that you are going through..I have a neck that has a couple of discs that are not that great but had an MRI and it showed that I had no nerve pinching going on there..so after that the surgeon said she wanted me to have a EMG done from the neck down and it showed severe carpal tunnel syndrome..and she also gave me a cortisone shot in June of this year and all the carpal tunnel symptoms went away and she said that if it was not carpal tunnel it would not have helped.
My hand is doing great 2 weeks and 4 days and no pain and no numbness..some soreness and still a lot of things I can't do ...but can do light household chores and can lift lite things..
And once again I feel sorry you have had to endure this kinda of pain..many hugs.
Joanna

10-25-2016, 02:24 AM

Thank you Joanna, the hardest thing for me at the mo, is the fact they don't have enough knowledge of this condition long term, and it's from what I have been told, is looking like I am going to have to just learn ways of living with it/managing it..I can't hold anything in my hand, it is my dominant right hand too... I can't write, style my hair, or even completely wash and dress myself right now... on top of other things.. and the pain is mad..
I was reluctant having this op, as I was sure it wasn't the real culprit...

I am really pleased to here, yours has worked though and you are doing well, I seriously would not wish this on anyone....

Big Hugs hun xxxxxxxxxx

Surgery Never Cured My Carpal Tunnel

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